


Burning Down the Barrier

by Rivethart



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Barrier, Magic, Medieval Tale, Other, Prejudice, Racism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-23
Updated: 2016-11-03
Packaged: 2018-07-16 18:33:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7279411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rivethart/pseuds/Rivethart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Barrier was created sixty years ago, separating their two kingdoms. Now, the monsters face a drought, while the humans up their prices to take what few gold the monsters have left. With the human king preparing an army while the monsters fight to feed their own, what impact could once mage have? </p><p>Perhaps, with a bit of fire magic and unfathomable stubbornness, they can bring down the Barrier for good...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

            Bridgeside Boarding School was a gilded prison in the nicest sense of the word. It had been constructed shortly after the treatise was struck, sending all monsters to live in the western lands. Bridgeside, once a small village that focused on farming, had been overrun with mages and military as a magical barrier was constructed, a fluctuating wall of pure magical energy that extended far higher than any man or monster could hope to pass, and deep into the ground to keep anyone from trying to tunnel beneath. The barrier, once in place, was fed through magic-imbued crystals that had to be changed every few months, but other than that needed little maintenance. It also shed magic like a dog in the summer, creating the perfect atmosphere for blossoming mages to study.

            So Bridgeside Boarding School was commissioned by the human king, who wanted to make sure the coming generation had plenty of mages to spare. The large, sprawling estate included stables and ponds, music and art classes, and extensive battle training (which was required of every student). Over the last sixty years, as the barrier strengthened and became a firm divider of the two kinds, the school’s reputation for turning out the best and brightest of wizards spread far and wide, calling for all children who had magical abilities to come and achieve the rank of Magus.

            Caleo Dux was one such child, and she couldn’t be less pleased. The fifteen-year-old had been perfectly happy learning from the local crone down the road, but her parents had finally decided it was time for her to have some proper training. She hadn’t _meant_ to set the chicken coop on fire – it had been an accident, honest! She had accidently lobbed a small (and it was small – seriously, only the size of a musket ball!) incendiary spell at the rooster that had bit her. Yes, she knew he didn’t have teeth, but it had still drawn blood! She’d only meant to scare the rooster, not turn him into supper. And she _certainly_ hadn’t meant to begin laughing hysterically as the large ‘mother-hen’ that acted like she owned the yard dashed about with her tail on fire.

            They hadn’t listened, however, and she’d been bundled away in a carriage and sent from her comfortable home in Birchwood (her father was Captain of the Royal Guard, a job which paid handsomely in both gold and land) to the gilded prison she’d been avoiding for years.

            From the outside, Bridgeside Boarding School was gold and glitter – large halls where grand balls were held when the seasons changed, exquisite kitchens that produced only the finest of meals, lessons taught by only the most experienced and well-known mages of the century. It was paraded as a paragon of education.

            To many of the students trapped inside, it was hell.

            There was an unspoken undercurrent of dread among the neat halls – a feeling of a noose tightening around the neck of many of them. Those who did not shine, who did not outperform others, knew what their fate would be when they graduated. In a royal decree signed not long after the barrier was constructed, the king had demanded that any citizen that showed magical talent be trained and spend several years in the army – how many years depended on the type of magic and how strong they were. Those who failed to perform up to standards became rank-and-file soldiers, nothing more than cannon fodder for the front line. Those who rose above and beyond (and they were few and far between) were immediately promoted to higher levels, using their intelligence and power from the back of the army, or serving as body guards to the higher ups.

            Luckily, because of the Barrier, there hadn’t been a war yet. The past sixty years had passed in relative peace. Trading still took part between the two kinds, thanks to a carefully constructed archway that allowed the passage of monsters and humans. It was always heavily guarded, and there were limited areas that visitors could move, but there had never been a problem there before. A few times new students were taken there in small groups by their professors, and had to study the constructions of the Barrier (as well as carefully observe the visiting monsters, taking note of their possible weaknesses and abilities). It was drilled into them that it was impossible to pass the Barrier proper without both a human and a monster SOUL, and that no amount of magic in the world could change that.

            It was that belief that kept Caleo from being discovered.

 

* * *

 

            The wealthy were wasteful because they could afford to be. Caleo had learned that quickly upon sneaking into the kitchen one night before the garbage cart came to carry away the scraps from the school. There were bins of perfectly good food – vegetables, fruits, bread – all of it a day or two out of date, or just a bit bruised. She’d thought it odd – at home any extra food went to slop the pigs, it wasn’t simply thrown away! – but had forgotten about it in favor of snitching an extra bit of left over tart and hurrying back to her dorm.

            A few days later they’d been on a trip to the Barrier when a scuffle caught her attention. A large monster made of fire was arguing with a human who was trying to sell his vegetables. The teacher – Master Teta – moved the rest of the group away, but Caleo hung back, hiding part-way behind a melon cart and listening in.

            “This is outrageous,” the flame elemental crackled, “Highway robbery! You can’t charge such high prices!”

            The man, dressed as a farmer and carrying himself with all the manners of a hog, spat on the ground near the fire elementals foot and sneered at him. “Sure I can,” he said it calmly, like he’d already won the argument. “Not my fault you ain’t got no water on yer side of the wall.”

            No water? Caleo leaned out from behind the cart a bit to hear better as the monster literally began to pop and crackle with anger.

            “There are people _starving_ in that land! _Women_ and _children_ are dying from hunger, and all you do is stand here and rob those trying to help their people?”

            “Hah! People? Y’all ain’t people,” the man snorted and slapped his thigh, like the monster had told a fantastic joke. Caleo winced as the flames on the monster’s shoulders grew higher, fully expecting him to lash out and burn the cart – and farmer – to a crisp. Father had always said that monsters had a terrible temper – it was why she tried to steer clear of them on these outings.

            Instead of lashing out the monster simply turned and strode away, leaving the farmer to holler angrily about his gold. The monster stopped, looking about for any witnesses, then turned and flicked the farmer off before stepping through the Barrier archway and strolling into the monster lands. The young mage snorted and had to withdraw behind the melons when the farmer looked about, fuming and swearing up a storm. She darted through the market and caught up with the teacher, who was giving a lecture she’d heard a thousand times on how the Barrier worked.

            That night during dinner, when all the students were assembled in the hall to eat a the many long tables provided, Caleo slipped into a seat among some of the older students and casually mentioned hearing there was a drought on the monster side of the Barrier. One of them – a stuck up prat with a gap in his teeth that made him whistle when he talked while excited – confirmed it, chattering about how it would be easier to ‘wipe out the stupid savages’ when half of them had died of starvation.

            During breakfast the next day his pants caught fire, but there were so many red-clad mages about that nobody could pinpoint just who had started it.

            It had not taken much for Caleo to come up with a plan. She had been a brat and a rapscallion at home (her mother’s words), and she saw no reason for that to change now. She would be cannon-fodder either way – she was neither clever enough or strong enough to be considered a magus. Not only that, but her magical talent consisted of setting things on fire and blowing things up – at graduation she would be declared at Incendiary Mage and sent to the front lines (no matter if her father was the Captain). So who was to care if she ended up dying a few years early thanks to a harebrained scheme or two?

            Now understand, Caleo was not suicidal, she was merely…pragmatic. The world was compromised of life and death, and as she sat in an exquisite building, being trained for a future she didn’t want, monsters were starving to death on the other side of the Barrier. Thanks to the wastefulness of the wealthy and elite in this building, there were plenty of good food going to waste that _could_ help to save some lives, or at least stave death off until whatever was causing the drought next door could be fixed. So while she was alive, she would find a way to fix the death that didn’t’ need to happen.

            Getting to the food was the easy part. Every Monday morning several men came by and hauled away the excess food to a large garbage pit a few miles outside of town, where the waste was turned into compost and pig slop. Every Saturday night the cooks cleaned out the ‘bad’ food (ugly fruits, day-old bread, and the like) and left it in bags or crates by the servants entrance to the building. Sundays were days of meditation and relaxation – the students were not expected for morning roll call, or required to be at any of the meals.

            If she played it right, Caleo could be gone an entire day and nobody would be the wiser.

 

* * *

 

            Caleo cast two spells on Saturday night – a spell of shadows, that let her sink into the darker parts of the halls and remain unseen – and a spell of lightening, which caused several of the bags of food to becoming feather light. They were not her forte, and she would no doubt have to replenish them several times during the trip, but it was better than nothing.

            The school was only a mile from the Barrier – the closer it was the more residual magic could boost the students own natural magic. Still, they hadn’t wanted to build it _right_ beside the barrier – too much uncontained magic plus a hundred students without perfect control would have ended with the building being destroyed before the very first welcome feast was over.

            Between the school and Barrier was mostly woods, and she used that to her advantage, hauling eight large bags bursting with food in her arms. If it weren’t for the spell she’d have barely been able to take one, but this way the fruits, vegetables, and large bag of rice (she wasn’t sure why it had been thrown out – it looked alright) hung easily from her arms, like overstuffed pillows. In no time she came upon the Barrier, shining and flashing rainbow colors in the midnight darkness. Beyond the light and odd humming noise, she could see more trees as the forest continued. There was a monster village four or five miles from the Barrier – it was the closest one from what she knew, and her destination. It would take two or three hours to reach it (if she didn’t get lost) and then a few hours to return. If everything went right she could the morning hours meditating (or napping) in the forest and return around noon, refreshed and ready to lie to her teachers about what she’d been doing.

            Getting past the Barrier was not nearly as hard as one might think. Caleo touched the crystal locket nestled against her chest, and the white light inside of it fluttered a bit as she neared the wall. The locket had been a gift from her Grandmother, who had told her a story long ago that, at the time, she took for a fairy tale. Now, seeing how the locket responded to the wall, she wasn’t so sure.

            “Once upon a time,” she repeated as the thrumming and humming of the magic monstrosity grew closer, “There was a monster who loved a human very much. But the monster was killed by jealous men. The human caught his SOUL in a locket and carried her with him for all her days.” The crystal grew warmer beneath her fingers as she stepped into the pure magic separating the two realms.

            It…tickled. No pain, no solid smack as she walked straight into a wall – just a brush of ticklish curls along her skin before she was standing on the other side, officially in the forest on monster land. Caleo turned and observed the Barrier – there was nothing to show she had passed through. Perfect. Grinning widely, she charged ahead.

* * *

 

            Captain Dux did not _hate_ monsters, per say, he just truly, deeply, _mistrusted_ them. The idea of an entire race of peoples who could ALL use magic, while only a comparatively small amount of humans could, made him nervous. He wasn’t the only one, either – the king had confessed more than once that King Asgore and Queen Toriel were nerve racking to meet with, and that he would feel much better if their meetings took place with the Barrier between them.

            Dux did his best to impress upon his men that monsters weren’t to be underestimated. It was rumored that they were made of love and compassion and unable to being themselves to hurt humans, but a few scars shown off by the older soldiers quashed those rumors and set everybody on edge. Even at home he made sure his daughter knew that monsters were not to be trusted – they were dangerous, possibly deadly, and he’d seen tempers flare more than once. So he told her, time and time again, to stay away from them, because there was no telling what they could do.

            His lessons hadn’t stuck. Caleo didn’t trust monsters, sure, but she had more good in her heart than her father would like and thinking of a whole race of people dying due to other human’s cruelty made her magic all twitchy. She may have shrugged off what that flame elemental had said earlier, if he hadn’t mentioned children. Whatever had happened between humans and monsters, children didn’t deserve to pay for it. True, at only fifteen she was still considered a ‘child’ herself, but that wasn’t what mattered! What mattered were the itty-bitty babies and young children starving to death on this side of the Barrier.

            Caleo’s estimate turned out to be spot-on; within two hours, the lights of ‘Snowdin Village’ appeared through the tress. Despite the early hour (a glance at the old fob watch her father had given her while kicking her out the door for school showed it was nearly three in the morning), candles and lanterns were lit in the homes near the edge of the woods. It wasn’t until she was closer that she noticed the signage; not homes, then. Shops.

            This would make it easier – she could leave the food near one of the doors and somebody would be sure to find it soon. But which building? She didn’t want to be caught – there was no way she’d survive if a monster found a human trespassing on their land. She’d heard what had been done to monsters found near human villages, and she had no desire to mimic the experience. She could only imagine it’d be much more… _unpleasant_ with magic involved.

            Staying in the shadows of the trees, she moved along the backs of the buildings. Apparently this was the marketplace of the village – all the buildings were facing a single, large road paved with cobblestones that could be spotted through the alleys. After a moment of evaluating them, she came to one that had a backdoor.

            Well, that made everything much easier! It even looked like this one had a kitchen – a tavern of some sort, then? A furtive look around ensured Caleo that she was alone, and it was all she needed to hurry forward and drop the bags on the stoop. She canceled the featherweight charm (it wouldn’t do to confuse the poor monsters, or make them think it was a trap or a trick) and, after a moment’s hesitation, knocked hard on the door. Then she turned and ran like she never had before, the shadow spell helping her to slip among the trunks of the trees and become invisible.

            Caleo didn’t stay – she wasn’t suicidal, after all, simply pragmatic – though the sound of the door opening and a shout of confusion and then delight followed her as she hurried through the trees, putting a good bit of distance between herself and the monster town before stopping to rest. Once she’d caught her breath, she began to slowly make her way back towards the school, a huge grin on her face that even walking straight into a spider web couldn’t knock off.

            This would definitely need to become a weekly routine.


	2. Inside the Tavern

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grillby and Sans share their worries, while Papyrus catches a human!

            Grillby was well and truly baffled, and Sans was enjoying every minute of it. He leaned on the meticulously polished bar top, nursing an ale as he watched the bartender pace back and forth through the empty tavern. It was far past closing, and there were no monsters renting the rooms upstairs, so the two had plenty of privacy to discuss the ‘miracle’ that currently had Grillby’s bowtie in knot.

            Said ‘miracle’ was spilled out across one of the larger tables in the middle of the dining area – bags of food, some of it slightly off or stale but still perfectly edible – creating tantalizing piles on the worn wood. There was enough in the bags to feed the small village of Snowdin for several days, and along with their thinning stores, nobody would be going hungry this week. Any other monsters would have been happy with the bounty, but Sans and Grillby weren’t any other monsters.

            “So there’s no note? Nothing?” Sans asked again between swigs of the pale ale, a specialty from the northern Waterfall areas.

            “Nothing.” Grillby stopped and picked up a loaf of bread, the crust crinkling pleasantly beneath his fingers. Despite not having the actual organs, Sans felt a twist of want in his gut. The bartender put the warmed bread down and moved on to sort through the vegetables – some of the tomatoes were bruised, and the celery was a bit wilted, but it would all be perfectly fine for a soup. “I – I have _no idea_ where it came from.”

            Sans drained the rest of his ale and pushed himself away from the bar to join his friend in examining the produce. “Doesn’t look like any of it has been tampered with,” he tapped a carrot against the table in a tuneless beat. “Do you recognize the bags from anywhere?”

            Grillby pulled the sack the bread had been wrapped in and examined it. Finely woven burlap, printed with ink that spelled out ‘OATS’ above several other words that had been distended by the weight of said oats pulling the painted strands askew. There was no telling what farm it had come from, or who had bought it. All the bags were like that, varying only in what they claimed to carry, none of which matched up with their actual contents.

            “I’ve been to the stable Aaron runs, but I don’t know what kind of bags they order their food in.” Grillby admitted, throwing the sack to the side.

            “Could be food smuggled from the capital.” Sans had broken the carrot in half and was eyeing it carefully, searching for any traces of poison or potion. “The drought hasn’t hit them as hard, though the Captain’s been complaining ‘bout Waterfall beginning to dry up.”

            Grillby shook his head and made another circuit around the table. “No, the king wouldn’t prevent others from sending food to us. There’s no need for it to be ‘smuggled’ here, no matter how far we are from the city. And the queen would kick him off the tallest tower if he tried to prevent a shipment.”

            Sans, having completed his review of the vegetable in his hand, took a big bite off the end. Grillby jumped at the **_CRUNCH_** and shot him a sour look. “Huh,” Sans wrinkled his nose cavity a bit as he chewed and swallowed.

            “What?”

            The skeleton eyed the carrot carefully again, then took another bite before answering. “It’s human food.” He polished off the carrot and eyed an apple that was sitting on the edge of the table, just within reach if he stretched.

            “It’s _human food_?” Grillby’s jaw dropped, and his glasses nearly slipped from his nose. “What do you mean it’s _human food_?!”

            Sans rolled his eyes at the bartender and picked up the apple, polishing it against his shirt. “Yep, no magic,” he took a bite and made a pleased hum at the sweet taste. “Still good, though.”

            “But – but then _how_ did it get _here_?” Grillby ran a hand through his crackling flames, trying to tame his surprise. “No human can get through the Barrier, and even if they could why would they _bother_? Most humans don’t care about us!”

            Sans smirked and twirled the apple on the tip of his finger, a hint of blue magic keeping it in place. “Heh, maybe we have a guardian angel.”

            “Or a possible security threat,” Grillby finally plopped down on the stool beside his long-time friend, hunching a bit as he eyed the food. “You’re a sentry – shouldn’t you be more worried about this?”

            “It’s not poisoned, just a little old,” Sans shrugged, “And it’s going to make a lot of monsters in this town _very_ happy, especially the kids.” He motioned to the bag full of pastries and sweets. “Sure, human food takes longer to digest, but we can make it work.” His eye lights dimmed a bit as he nibbled on the apple, mood turning heavy and thick.

            “Sans…?”

            “I’ve been prayin’ for a miracle, Grills. A way to keep everyone fed without having to abandon the town.” His brows relaxed as he gazed, a bit unfocused, at the food piled on the table. “I ain’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.” He finished off the apple and dropped the core in his empty mug.

            Grillby made a non-committal noise, still gazing at the food with worry.

            “Hey, if it’ll cool your flames, I’ll keep an eye out for someone smuggling in bags of food. I’ll even get Papyrus in on it – you know he loves setting up traps and puzzles.” Sans expression turned affectionate, as it did every time he spoke of his younger brother.

            “Thank you, Sans.” Grillby moved to the back of the bar. “So – what do we do with the food?”

            “We’ll need to split it up between everyone, evenly y’know – probably save most of the vegetables for the vegetarian monsters, like Bunny and her family. Dogs’ll appreciate the meat, and the kids will want the sweets.” He watched as Grillby pulled his ledger from beneath the bar and opened to a new page, where he used a thin stick of ink – an invention of the royal scientist, something she called an ‘ink pen’ that had ink in the pen itself, eliminating the need for an inkwell – and began listing everyone in town, alongside what food they would need.

            “Do you think the ‘angel’ will return?” He asked, ink dripping along the edge of the page as he tapped the pen tip against the page. As useful as the ‘ink pen’ was, it still needed some work.

            Sans eyed the apple core in his mug and wondered what the odds of getting some hot cider were – it was mid-autumn and the weather was turning cold. Some hot apple cider with a stick of cinnamon sounded heavenly…

            “Sans?”

            “Oh – uh, sorry, Grills, was thinking. Yeah, I bet they come back. Maybe next week. Paps and I will keep an eye socket out for ‘em.” He jumped off the stool and shoved his hands in the deep pockets of his trousers. Despite the sentries having a uniform, the lazy skeleton wore simple pants and a rough-hewn shirt beneath a wool-lined blue jacket. His shoes – which had once been a reddish-brown, but after years of use had faded to a pale pink – shuffled against the wood floor as he gave the piles of food one last look. “Speaking of Paps, I gotta go tell ‘im his story. Night, Grills.”

            “Goodnight, Sans. Thank you.”

            “O’course. See you in the morning.”

            A flash of blue light, and the skeleton was gone.

 

* * *

 

            In the past month Caleo had gotten her Sunday night routine down to a science. Make sure everyone was asleep and the kitchen was clear, then fill as many bags as possible with the food waiting to be thrown out. Once they were full and tied tightly, she cast the lightening spell and hauled them out the servant’s entrance, past the stable, and into the forest closest to the barrier. Then, once the bags were hanging securely form her waist and over her back, she trudged through the forest, clutching her crystal locket and reciting the same story every time she passed through the barrier.

            _“Once upon a time, there was a monster who loved a human very much. But the monster was killed by jealous men. The human caught his SOUL in a locket and carried him with her for all her days._ ”

            Then another three hours through the remarkably un-enchanted monster-side forest to the little town of Snowdin (she’d caught sight of the sign one trip and had thought it an appropriate name – from what the older students had told her, winter in the area was constantly white, wet, and deep). She probably could have made it in less time, but she’d come to enjoy the quiet and peace that came from a two in the morning stroll. Upon coming to the row of building backs, she’d drop the food off at the tavern, toss a rock at the door, and run until she was out of sight, out of mind, leaving the monsters to their food. So far, it had worked splendidly.

            Well, except for that one hiccup, last week. Just as she’d turned to run a short, round monster had _teleported_ into the woods. If it weren’t for the shadow spell she’d cast, Caleo would have been seen right away. She was barely able to press herself flat against a large tree before the monster walked by, his head and face hidden by the hood of his thick jacket. All she could see was a single bright-blue pupil moving about his socket. He’d given up searching rather quickly and she’d rushed off, reaching the barrier in record time and heading straight for the baths as soon as she reached the school, soaked in sweat from her sprint.

            That wouldn’t be happening this time. She had a plan – get in, get out, don’t throw any more rocks. They would find the food sooner or later, there was no need to get their attention anymore. It may not even be necessary to leave it on the back stoop – she could probably plop it down on the edge of the forest and be done. As she approached the glowing lights of the town, that thought wavered a bit. It was cold now, and if a frost hit while the food was on the ground, it could be damaged. It would be safer to leave it on the stoop. Still, as long as she was quiet, nobody would know she was there.

            Not to mention she was running late today. She’d gotten in trouble for setting another students hair on fire (despite her insistence it was accidental – which it _was,_ she’d been aiming for his fat mouth) and had to spend most of Saturday afternoon and evening sweeping the many halls of the building. She hadn’t gotten away until nearly three that morning, and dawn was creeping up as she got close.

            Between the trees, the backdoor of the inn, with its flickering lamp and silver handle, came into sight. Caleo slowed and shuffled closer slowly, searching for any sign of the blue-eyed figure from the week before. Nothing – and nobody – jumped out as she reached the tree line. Fears settled, she stripped off the roped bags of food and stepped into the leaf-layered strip of grass between the towering trunks and the building.

            In what felt like less than a dizzying second, she was hanging several yards above the ground, swinging back and forth. Once her brain had settled back into the right position, she was able to take in her new surroundings. The ground was far, far below – too far. Looking down made her dizzy, and she immediately snapped her head back up. On all sides were thick, twisted ropes, woven to create a sturdy net. They tied together at the top, where an even thicker rope secured it to a heavy branch.

            She’d been snared.

            _Shit_.

            “Wait, stop, breathe, think.” Caleo told herself sternly, quoting her magic combat teacher. “Ropes. Ropes are made of grass. Grass is flammable.” She flexed her fingers and gathered power in that weird little spot in the middle of her chest that always grew warm when she did this. The warmth flowed down her arm, tracing the blood veins and spreading out to pool in her palm. A spark of flames stuttered to life, quickly growing until she had a good little flame going. With a flick of her fingers, she sent the fireball toward the ropes. It licked eagerly at the fibers, before stuttering out without a hint of smoke.

            “What…?” Caleo quickly gathered another fistful of fire and grabbed the nearest rope, having to twist uncomfortably to reach it. She held it tight enough to hurt, the flames licking eagerly around her fingers as they searched for fuel. Within seconds they extinguished again.

            Again and again Caleo grabbed the ropes, her flames growing weaker the more she used them. Not even a scorch mark was left on the ropes – they were _fireproof_.

            Still, she didn’t truly begin to panic until the back door of the inn burst open. The net rocked back and forth frantically as she grasped at the ropes to pull herself upright, adjusting herself so she could see the emerging monsters.

            “SANS! Enough with your infernal puns!” Two walking…talking… _skeletons_ emerged from the door, allowing it to swing shut behind them. The taller of the two was the one yelling. He was very tall, thin, and wore a shining breastplate and pauldrons that were half-hidden beneath a purple and white tunic. The tunic sported the white symbol of monster royalty – the Delta Ruin. This tall, armored skeleton was a royal guard, or at least a royal page.

            The skeleton beside him was much less…intimidating. His clothes were soft and plain, a bit worn but comfortable looking. He only reached the other skeletons shoulder, and seemed to slump a bit as she stood on the stoop, hands shoved in his jacket pockets. As the taller skeleton waved his arms a bit, his grin stretched even farther across his face.

            “Aw, c’mon bro, you’re _smiling_.” He gently elbowed the taller skeleton.

            “I am and I _hate it_!” The armored one stamped his foot and glared out at the forest. His odd eyes traced the tree trunk and quickly found the dropped bags of food. The black sockets widened, and his gaze shot the opposite direction, quickly catching sight of the human in the net.

            Caleo audibly gulped as she made eye-contact with him. Her grip on the ropes tightened painfully, and she wondered if she could chew through the ropes before the skeletons managed to get her down.

            “SANS, _LOOK!_ MY TRAP WORKED!” The skeleton grabbed and shook the smaller skeletons – Sans – shoulders excitedly as he hollered.

            “It sure did, Paps.” Sans agreed, head rocking back and forth lazily as he allowed himself to be shaken.

            “Come, we must get them down immediately!” ‘Paps’ took a step forward, but Sans grabbed his arm, stopping him.

            “Nah, she looks pretty comfy _hanging around_ up there. Why don’t you get the food in first?”

            Paps, who had groaned at the pun, rolled his sockets. “I can see right through you brother – you are just trying to be lazy!” He strutted forward and Caleo twisted her hips around so she could bend and watch him as he gathered up the fallen bags. To her amazement, even without the lightening spell, he was able to haul up all eight at once and return to the building as though they weighed as much as cotton. “Keep an eye on them, Sans! I will return in a moment!”

            Sans nodded and Paps disappeared through the door. Faintly, Caleo could hear someone yell, followed by several other voices. She stared at the skeleton as the door swung shut, cutting off the sound. Then, he was gone.

            The mage jerked backwards in surprise and began looking about frantically, trying to see where he had gone. It wasn’t until a low chuckle met her ears that her gaze darted to the branch holding up the net.

            “Nobody ever looks up,” Sans commented from where he was lounging on the wood, back against the trunk, hands behind his head. His eye sockets were, somehow, closed, giving him an air of complete ease. Caleo couldn’t help but swallow hard once again when she saw how close to the rope he was.

            “So, kid, you’ve got yourself _roped_ into quite the dilemma, huh?” He had one leg crossed against the other, and gently swung a foot. It tapped against the top of the net trap, making it swing gently back and forth. When she didn’t answer – too busy trying not to hyperventilate – he lifted one lid and glanced at her with a white pip. “What, _tongue-tied_?”

            In the net, meanwhile, Caleo was trying to remember how to breathe, as well as any tips her father had given her for dealing with monsters. Neither were going very well.

            “Yeesh, kid, are you okay? You’re not looking so _hot_.” The skeleton shifted so he was sitting upright, both legs over the edge of the branch, looking down at her with mild concern – or was it curiosity? When she didn’t laugh, he quirked a brow and gave her a grin. “Get it? Cause you’re wearing all red.” He motioned to her red tunic and dark brown leggings – the standard school uniform for incendiary mages.

            Caleo flexed her fingers once more before prying them off the ropes, noting absently that some of the flesh of her palms had turned red and raw from gripping the rough surface so hard. She slowly sat back in the net so it was easier to look up at the skeleton, though her breathing was still too uneven to speak.

            “I know I’m a handsome guy, but I didn’t think I’d take your _breath away_.” When that got a quirk of her lips he seemed pleased. “There we go. We aren’t gonna hurt ya – Papyrus just got a bit over excited about setting up some puzzles and traps for our mysterious _donor_.” Sans ran his hands over the rope wrapped around the thick bough. “I honestly didn’t think you’d fall for it.”

            Caleo snorted and he watched her expectantly, waiting for her to speak. “I didn’t do it…on purpose,” she ground out. “I’m not _stupid_.”

            “Never said you were,” Sans reassured, eyes flickering to the door as it began to open. Before she could blink he disappeared, and when she twisted around in the ropes she spotted him standing by the stoop, as though he’d never moved.

            Papyrus put his hands on his hips and gave his brother an unimpressed look. “You’re so lazy, Sans! I thought you would take initiative and get the human down!”

            Down? Why down? Caleo was perfectly happy up here, _away_ from the loud monster.

            Sans shrugged, looking unbothered. “It’s your trap, bro. Didn’t wanna break it by accident.”

            “Oh, well, thank you for your consideration, brother!” Papyrus shifted his gaze to the net and took up a thinking pose, fingers stroking his chin, elbow cradled in his opposite hand. “Hmm, how _are_ we going to get them down?” He asked the shorter skeleton.

            “Well, I could-“

            “Ah, I’ve got it!” Papyrus stepped forward, right eye flashing with a warm orange light. “Human, do not move!”

            Had Caleo not been entranced by the soft glow of magic from his eye, she would have vehemently protested whatever he was about to do. As it was, her thoughts hadn’t caught up until after he had summoned a handful of sharpened bones and launched them at the ropes.

            _Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh SHIT_!

            The ropes, resistant to flames, fell before the bone blades. The fibers shredded and unraveled, completely coming apart and leaving Caleo suspended in midair for just a moment. She wished, not for the first time, that her teachers had bothered to teach things _other_ than battle and heating teapots. Knowing how to fly – or even _hover_ – right then would have been helpful.

            The fall was too short for a scream, though the human did open her mouth just in case. She didn’t hit the ground, though – no familiar tickle of grass and dirt as her back slammed into the ground. Instead, a pair of boney arms – er, arms made completely of bones – caught her easily.

            Caleo gasped and coughed as she tried to catch her breath once again. The tall skeleton, Papyrus, held her unwaveringly as she doubled over and sucked in air through tired, protesting lungs.

            “Sans! I have captured the human!” Papyrus spun on his heel, and said human grabbed the front of his tunic to keep from being thrown about, hoping he wouldn’t mind. Before Sans could comment or Caleo could protest or try and wiggle out of his arms, the skeleton plowed forward past his brother and into the tavern, carrying Caleo straight through a nice kitchen and into the main bar room.

            Said room was packed with monsters, all crowded around tables that were laden with the food she had brought. It was being sorted between all sorts of monsters – some rabbit-like ones, a few dogs, and more. Monsters of all shapes and sizes. And all looking right. At. Her.

            As Papyrus stood proudly in front of the bar, Caleo felt her heart stop, certain that her good deed had just lead to her end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments and kudos, I appreciate them! I've been having fun playing with this universe. I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter!
> 
> Cheers!


	3. Hot Chocolate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A smoking hot bartender serves hot chocolate.

            The past ten minutes had rushed by far too fast for Caleo to comprehend. Now, held bridal-style in the arms of a giant skeleton-man in front of at least two-dozen monsters packed into a small tavern, going through the bags of food she had brought them, her mind raced to catch up.

            One: she had been caught. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing – the monsters hadn’t hurt her (yet) and despite the net she was in one piece (so far). None of them seemed particularly angry, though some of them lacked human-like faces, so it was hard to tell.

            Two: her magic was gone. She’d spent it all on trying to break out of the net, and the well in her chest she depended on to cast was tapped out. So there was no magical escape from her predicament.

            Three: if her father was right in everything he’d told her, she wouldn’t be walking out of this bar alive was slim to none, and the very idea of dying made her hands shake.

            The logical thoughts faded as a new monster approached. The rest of the tavern had fallen silent at Papyrus’ entrance, and all eyes were on her or the approaching monster. He appeared to be made completely of fire shaped in the form of a bipedal body – two legs, two arms, head, torso, a flaming crop of hair on top. He wore a neat bartenders uniform, down to a bowtie, and there was a prim set of glasses balanced on his non-existent nose. It was the same fire monster from the market square – the one who’d inspired her to do this in the first place.

            As the fire monster came to a stop, Papyrus set the girl on her feet, hands on her shoulders. There would be no running away from this. Caleo clasped her hands together and swallowed hard as the bartender crouched a bit so he could see her – he was almost as tall as Papyrus, meaning she barely came up to his chest.

            “I am Grillby,” he introduced himself. “Are you the one who has been bringing us food?” His voice was soft and warm, the paler almond-shaped eyes behind the glasses equally so. She gave a sharp nod.

            “Y-yeah, that’s me,” she admitted in a quiet voice. Even so, it carried about the room like a shout. Immediately, she was crushed by a wave of noise. This was shortly followed by a wave of monsters. Frogs, moths, bunnies, dogs, more types of monsters than she had ever seen – all of them rushed forward, pushing Grillby out of the way. Paws and flippers seized her hands, shaking them frantically before being pushed aside. Words of thanks and praise in odd accents of all kinds deafened her as a million smiles were shot her way.

            A large grizzly bear clapped a hand on her shoulder (where had Papyrus’ hands gone?) and thanked her for some deer jerky she’d brought the week before. A bunny praised her for taking the time to bring them vegetables. A child – at least, he looked like a child, he was small like a child – rushed forward and tripped, head-butting her in the stomach by mistake. She jerked back a bit into Papyrus, who steadied her, while the child stumbled and caught his balance. Impressive, considering he had no arms.

            “Yo, sorry! Thanks!” He gushed, tail whipping back and forth frantically. “For the candy! You’re the best, yo!” He head-butted her on purpose this time, gently in the stomach, before rushing off again.

            Before more monsters could fill the gap the bartender stepped forward, stopping them with a firm look and a shake of his head. The monsters immediately quieted, standing and watching.

            “We owe you a great debt,” the bartender said, standing slightly to the side so Caleo could see the group behind him. “Without your help, many of us may have had to leave our homes and farms behind.”

            The human began to blush as he spoke, thankful that she was just the right height to stare at the buttons on his vest instead of his face. “No,” she shook her head, “I didn’t do that much. I – it’s not that much food, really.”

            “But it’s human food,” the armless child from before jumped in, dancing from one foot to the other in excitement. When she didn’t immediately rejoice with him, he gave Grillby a frustrated look.

            “Human food has more substance than monster food, though it lacks magic. It takes us longer to break down human food into energy, so we don’t need to eat nearly as much of it as monster food.” He explained, voice cracking like a campfire as he spoke. “Thanks to your gifts, we have been able to begin storing food to last us for a few months now.” He rested his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently, leaving a patch of warmth before releasing her.

            “Yes, human, you have truly given us a great gift!” Papyrus boomed, and his hands came back down on Caleo’s shoulders, nearly forcing her to her knees with his strength. “We should give you a gift in return, as good friends do!”

            “Yo, we should introduce you to the king!” Armless-kid jumped up and down, tail catching him when he nearly overbalanced.

            Caleo felt her heart stop at the suggestion. “No,” she immediately said, voice shaky (and not slightly panicked, she told herself). The kid frowned, and she rushed to explain. “I mean, I don’t want to bother him, and I might get in trouble with my family if they find out I’m over here,” she said hurriedly. “Besides, I’m not doing this for a reward. You all don’t owe me anything, I promise.”

            Skeletal arms moved from her shoulders to surround her in a hug, lifting her straight up off the floor. “My brother is right – you truly _are_ an angel, human!” In his arms, Caleo turned as red as a tomato.

            “No,” she squeaked in denial. “I, uh, I just like to help!” She flailed her legs a bit, and thankfully Papyrus set her down not a moment later.

            “Well human, you have achieved your goal! You have helped us immensely!”

            “Great!” Caleo forced an unhealthy amount of cheer into her voice, trying to match Papyrus’ level of excitement (which she didn’t think was humanly possible). While the other monsters had gone back to sorting through the food, and Grillby had retreated behind the bar in order to whip up a drink for someone, she still felt as though there were a hundred eyes crawling over her. Perhaps there was a monster with ninety-eight eyes somewhere in the room? The only two she could account for was Papyrus.

            “Well, I should really get going - “

            “Oh! Please, allow me to escort you back to the Barrier gate!” Papyrus posed gallantly, one hand fisted on his hips, the other clanging against the breastplate beneath his tunic. “I can be of great assistance in assisting you!”

            The mage found her fear of the tall skeleton diminishing by the syllable. It hadn’t vanished, but the fiery panic had dimmed to a hesitant glow. “Thank you, Papyrus,” she said sincerely, “but I don’t need an escort.”

            Papyrus deflated a bit, disappointment shining in his inconceivable pupils. “Oh, but – won’t you be lonely walking home all alone?”

            She shook her head and, after a moment of hesitance, initiated contact by resting a hand on the glove clenched over his chest. “No, not at all. Actually, I live with a lot of people. Walking through a nice, quiet forest is very relaxing to me.”

            “Nyeh heh! I understand, human!” Papyrus moved the hand from his hip to pat her hair. “If you ever change your mind and wish for company, I will make sure my Sunday mornings are clear!”

            “Running off with the human, bro?”

            “Sans! Where have you been?”

            While Papyrus lambasted his brother over his tardiness, Caleo jumped a foot in the air at his sudden arrival at her side and nearly doubled over as she tried to catch her breath. Her head came up to his collar bone – she was like her mother, petite, and though her tall father insisted she had another growth spurt in her it had yet to hit.

            “Sorry, kid. Didn’t mean to scare ya outta your skin,” Sans apologized, which sent Papyrus into another lecture on using puns to annoy new friends. Despite the grin she cracked at the joke, Caleo couldn’t help but feel…unsettled by the skeleton. It wasn’t his appearance; it was just…him. In his eyes – the way he looked her up and down, stopping to stare briefly at her chest before shifting his gaze to her face. He appeared almost… _wary_ of her, which didn’t make any sense.

            A finger tapped her shoulder, and she jumped a tiny bit and turned to see the bartender leaning over the bar. He pressed a mug into her hand, and she blinked in confusion for a moment, staring at it. “Uh, I didn’t order anything.”

            The flames that took the place of hair crackled, like a campfire devouring dry leaves, and the soft, professional smile on his face turned into a larger, genuine grin. “It is on the house,” he assured her, before moving from behind the bar to help his friends in sorting the food.

            Caleo stared down at the mug of dark, creamy drink, nose twitching at the smell of chocolate and something slightly spicy beneath it. There was a dollop of whipped cream on the top, which was slowly melting into the brown goodness beneath it. It looked and smelled absolutely delicious, but her mind was holding her back.

            _Monster food is dangerous, Caleo._ Her father echoed in her head. _It’s full of magic. Since you’re a mage it wouldn’t kill you, but it could make you very sick. And there’s no telling if a monster poisoned the food, they could get away with murder if you aren’t careful._

            Her father was paranoid, she knew, but year of hearing the same warnings lingered in her mind. She hadn’t realized she’d zoned out, staring at the mug, until a pair of boney fingers stole it from her.

            “Hey-“ She immediately began to protest, shocked out of her reverie, to see Sans had hopped up on the barstool nearby and was eyeing the mug with a raised brow.

            “You don’t like chocolate?” He guessed, swirling the hot drink around a bit. When he spoke again, his voice had dropped to a whisper. “Or is hot chocolate not your _poison_?”

            A flushed coated Caleo’s cheeks as she stuttered out a denial. Sans listened with a raised brow, blank smile on his face, before he lifted the drink to his teeth and – somehow? – took a sip. When he pulled the mug away there was a cream and chocolate mustache along the top of his mouth.

            “Taste’s fine to me,” he shoved the mug back into her hands as he hopped off the stool. “You don’t want to insult Grillby, do ya?” He jerked his head towards the fire monster, who had found the child from before and was helping him sort through the sweets she’d brought. He was doing his best to keep the youngster from stuffing himself with them, while the child was trying to use his tail to sneak things past the fire monster.

            Sans shuffled over to help Grillby (or maybe assist the monster kid in sneaking more sweets?), leaving you staring after him. Papyrus, who’d been distracted by a pretty bunny monster toting several children with her, turned to you with a big smile and several kits clinging to his armor. He looked like the lands kindest jungle gym.

            “Human, is your cocoa alright?” He asked, swinging about so the kits giggled.

            Caleo felt her worry, as well as her fathers’ voice, fade a bit at the kindness in his voice. She brought the mug to her mouth and carefully took a sip.

            It was…it was…

            “Oh my gods,” she gasped, licking foam from her upper lip. “This is the best thing I’ve ever tasted!”

            “Nyeh heh! His food may be greasy, but Grillby knows better than anyone how to make a good drink.” Papyrus praised, amusement in his eyes as Caleo took another, bigger gulp.

            The well in her chest, where her magic often bubbled and crackled and burned, began to fill once again with warmth. She didn’t dare test any of her magic in a room full of monsters, but she was certain it was returning, far faster than a simple nap or night of sleep could.

            In no time the mug was empty, and Caleo rolled it between her hands before setting it with a quiet clink on the bar. Papyrus had shooed off the baby bunnies, who were now swarming their mother, eagerly nibbling on celery stalks and carrots.

            “Are you off human?” Papyrus asked, quietly enough that he didn’t get the whole bars attention again.

            “I really should be,” Caleo glanced over the bar. She could probably sneak through the kitchen and out through the back door, straight to the woods. Would Grillby mind? Probably not…

            “I understand – you should not worry your family by staying too long!” Papyrus clapped a hand on her shoulder once again – she was going to have a bruise there tomorrow – and beamed. “I look forward to seeing you next week!”

            Caleo swallowed at the thought – would she be coming back next week? Now that the monsters knew who she was, would it be dangerous to return? Her eyes skimmed the bustling bar – the monsters were talking and laughing, happily sharing the food as they chatted. Children ran about, treats in hand as they crawled under the tables, pretending to be cave explorers. It was…wholesome. Happy. Familial.

            “Yeah, I – I’ll see you next week,” she promised, and the well of magic in her chest swelled with warmth.

* * *

 

            The barrier was as pretty and sparkly as ever, shining in the mid-morning light. Caleo plodded towards it, feeling more exhausted than ever before. She was going to find a nice, shady oak tree with some thick branches, climb up and nap the afternoon away.

            She stepped through the rainbow of light, nose wrinkling as it tickled across her skin. Just as she stepped onto the far side, a stick snapped behind her. Heart racing, Caleo turned, hoping to see a squirrel or deer staring back at her.

            Black eye sockets met hers, and for a moment she was certain he would find a way to kill her through the barrier. The white pips were quick to return though, and Sans took up the relaxed mantle he’d had before.

            “See ya next week, kid.” He turned around and disappeared, leaving Caleo wondering if that was a promise, or a threat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your kudos and comments on the last chapter, I really appreciate each and every one I get!
> 
> I have this entire story almost sketched out - the next six or seven chapters are outlined so I know where I'm going with it. Next chapter has MK and Papyrus fluff, promise! Then after that, stuff gets real. 
> 
> Also: Any guesses as to the meaning of Caleo's name? Share your thoughts, I want to see if anyone's figured it out! Both her first and last (Dux) names have a special meaning. ;D
> 
> Cheers, all!


	4. Fight Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caleo returns to Snowdin and enjoys a late lunch with the brothers, while Sans tries to get to the bottom of the mysterious human's ability...

            Caleo was in trouble.

            Again.

            The young mage stood before the headmaster’s desk, eyes trained on the brightly polished seeing stones he had sitting on the edge of the dark oak wood. It was much better than looking at Headmaster Burkstock’s fierce glare. Despite being over a hundred, the master magus was said to kill disappointing students with a mere glare. Caleo may not be the smartest in the school, but even she knew better than trying to test that kind of theory.

            “Am I understood, Miss Dux?” The man asked, heavy hands resting over his gut as he leaned back in his large chair, flashing amber eyes boring into her

            “Yes sir,” the girl nodded, keeping her eyes respectfully away from his face.

            “If you are found fighting again, you will be expelled. I do not want to explain to the Captain of the army why his very own flesh and blood was unable to follow simple commands.”

            That made the girl wince – if she was expelled from the school, there was little doubt in her mind that her family would disown her as well.

            “Yes sir,” she spoke with a stronger voice, “I won’t let you down.”

            “I would hope so.” He huffed. “You are an intelligent girl. Use those brains of yours.” He turned his chair, so he was looking out the windows, viewing the large campus. “Dismissed.”

            “Yes sir.” Caleo bowed, then turned and rushed out of the room. It was almost nightfall, leaving only a handful of hours to midnight, and her escape to the barrier and the small town beyond. She was a bit worried about returning to Snowdin after being found out, but the monsters had been so happy to receive the food that she couldn’t bring herself to stop.

            By half-past midnight, Caleo was loaded with bags and just stepping through the barrier. She dropped the locket around her neck and glared at the foot of snow beneath her feet. Winter had fully arrived, and it would be a bit more difficult to slog through it than normal. At least she had thought to wear her riding boots to keep her feet warm. With a huff, she began to trudge towards the village.

            Halfway there, she heard something.

            “Are you certain this is the way, brother? The gate is farther north than this; surely she would take a more direct route?”

            “This is the way she went last time, bro. I’m certain of it.”

            “Well, if you are sure…”

            Ahead, a blue light illuminated the woods, reflecting off the soft snow and creating an odd, ethereal glow. Caleo slowed her steps, recognizing the voices before they stepped into sight.

            “Sans, do you thi – Oh! Human, you did return!”

            Caleo froze as the larger of the two skeletons – Papyrus, right? – rushed towards her, a large, cheerful grin on his face. “I am so pleased to see you again!” He froze right before sweeping her up into a hug. “Stars! Human, what has happened to your face?”

            “Yeesh, kid, who’d you piss off?” Sans had moved forward, holding a flickering blue flame in his hands to light the surrounding woods.

            While Papyrus snapped at his brother for his language, Caleo blushed and looked away from the two. As part of her punishment for instigating the fight, the headmaster had forbidden her from seeing the healer for her injuries. This left her with a bruised cheek, a black eye, and a split lip, all on the same side of her face.

            Caleo tried to shrug it off. “Just some other kids mouthing off. It’s nothing.”

            “Last I checked, ‘mouthing off’ didn’t cause bruises.” Sans took several steps closer, squinting at her injuries.

            The mage huffed and turned so they could see the damage. “No, but a training lance does.”

            “Goodness, human! What were you doing playing with a lance?” Papyrus asked, tilting her head up by the chin so he could squint at the injury.

            She opened her mouth to correct him – it had been that prig, Thaxton, wielding the lance, not her – but decided it was easier to roll with it. “I’ll be more careful in the future,” she promised the tall skeleton. “So, uh, what are you guys doing out in the forest before sunrise?”

            “We were looking for you, human!” Papyrus chirped happily. “We wished to assist you in carrying your generous gift of food to the town!”

            Caleo glanced at the bags strapped to her back and hips, then at the tall skeleton. “That was super nice of you guys,” she gave them both a wide smile, “but I’ve got it, really. You didn’t have to get up and wander out here to help me.”

            “Nonsense!” Papyrus chided, stepping forward to invade her personal space and untying some of the bags from her shoulders. “I, the Great Papyrus, would be lax in my duty as a sentry and a gentleman if I did not offer you my expertise in food carrying!”

            His large hands let him easily carry four bags, which he untied from her waist. Ignoring her blush, he struck a pose, the ends of the bags held in one hand and thrown over one shoulder. That left four bags tied to your back and shoulders.

            “Sans, help the young lady with her bags!” Papyrus insisted. You shot the shorter skeleton an uncomfortable look, and he gave you a lazy wink.

            “I can’t, bro.”

            “What? Why not?!”

            “I’m holding the lantern.” Sans held up the hand full of flickering blue flames. Before Papyrus could counter he strode off, leading the way back to the village.

            Caleo gave Papyrus a weak smile before hurrying behind him. The younger skeleton huffed but followed, bringing up the rear of their odd little parade. With company, the trip seemed much shorter. They arrived at the village just as the sun began to peek over the mountains to the west. Instead of creeping through the woods to the backdoor, Sans led the way down the main street through the small town. Caleo slowed her steps and looked around curiously, seeing a cute little inn, a general store, a library, and several small houses all crowded together. The tavern was towards the center of the street, part of a large, cobblestone town square, complete with a fountain (turned off for the winter) and benches about the space. There were a few other stores, but this early in the morning they were all closed. With the heavy coating of snow, it was all very picturesque.

            Sans led them to a two-story building that had a large, intricate wooden sign hanging out front. Burned carefully into the smooth and stained wood was the word ‘ _Grillby’s Tavern’_ surrounded by intricate flame designs. There were a few lanterns lit in the ground floor, and through the windows the fiery bartender could be seen moving behind the bar. When Sans tapped on the door, the elemental jumped a bit, then spotted them through the glass and hurried to let them.

            “Good morning,” he greeted in his deep, crackling voice. “I did not know you were able to wake before noon, Sans. This is a pleasant surprise.”

            “Nyeh, I had to drag him out of bed to meet our human friend!” Papyrus announced, sounding proud of his accomplishment and exasperated with his brother at the same time.

            Grillby held the door open, ushering them in out of the cold. “It is good to see you again, Miss Caleo,” he rested a warm hand on her shoulder for a moment, “I was worried we had scared you off last week.”

            Caleo followed Papyrus to the nearest table and began to shuck off the bags, canceling the feather weight spell on them as she did so. “I was a bit frightened,” she confessed after a moment of hesitation, “but seeing how happy you all were last week, I didn’t want to disappoint you by not returning.”

            The bartender’s flames softened, both in color and intensity, and he replaced his hand on her shoulder as she finished untying the bags. “You are a very brave young woman,” he complimented, grinning when she blushed brightly beneath her dark curls. “You have a good SOUL.”

            This only made her flush more, and she busied herself with unpacking the loaves of bread she’d brought. Papyrus joined her, stacking apples from the bag of fruit beside the bread, creating a neat pyramid.       

            “Human, where do you get this food?” He asked cheerfully, carefully placing an apple at the very top of his stack. Caleo placed a wheat roll on top of her own shorter pyramid while mulling over her answer.

            “I got to a big, fancy boarding school,” she decided to omit the fact that it was Bridgeside, the famed boarding school for mages, “with lots of rich, snooty kids.” She wrinkled her nose, remember Thaxton’s mocking face during the fight last night. “They’ve all been spoiled rotten, and everything has to be perfect for them. That includes their food,” she picked up an apple from Papyrus’ pile, rubbing a thumb over the little bruise on the shiny red surface. “If it even looks a little bit off, they’ll throw it away. When I learned that you all were having a drought and were struggling with food, I decided to do something to solve both problems.”

            “So…you’re bringing us garbage.” Sans, who had sat in the chair across the table while she spoke, raised a brow, the smile on his teeth taut.

            Caleo froze, hand hovering over a loaf of sweet bread, her eyes widening in shock. “That’s – no, that’s not what I meant, I swear, all this food is still good, I promise, it’s not trash-“

            “Whoa, whoa, it was a joke, kid.” Sans leaned across the table and snagged the small sweet roll out from beneath her hands. “We know it’s good, okay? I was just teasing ya.”

            A long, thin arm reached over and smacked Sans on the head. “Really, brother, show some kindness for our human friend! Oh, that reminds me!” Papyrus turned to beam at the short girl. “Would you like to join us for breakfast, human? I am making scrambled eggs and cakes made in a pan!”

            “That, uh, sounds nice, but I should probably head back to the school,” Caleo hedged, but her stomach chose that moment to grumble loudly, bringing the burn back to her cheeks.

            “You cannot go back on an empty stomach!” Papyrus declared, throwing an arm about her shoulders. “Come, I will show you to our home!” Caleo threw the other a desperate look as she was ushered out by the hyper skeleton, but Sans merely shrugged while Grillby gave her a bit of a wave. Resigned to breakfast with the skeleton, the mage followed him into the snowy streets.

            Papyrus swept her towards the edge of town, stopping in front of a two-story cabin adorned with sparkling fairy lights and a large pirate flag on the roof. “Welcome, human, to scenic my home!” He dragged her up the two stairs of the porch, then threw open the door and ushered her in.

            The lower level of the cabin was open and roomy, with a large fire crackling in the kitchen hearth. Papyrus steered her to a comfortable looking couch, beside which was a rock covered in sugar sprinkles. “That is Sans pet rock, Andrew Vanderbilt the third!” He explained, noting the mages wandering eyes. “Here, this will keep you warm.” A quilt was draped over her lap. “Skeletons do not feel the cold, but you humans do!” He tucked the edges of the quilt beneath her thighs, then stood back. “You rest here while I make breakfast!” He dashed off to the kitchen, leaving Caleo to watch him with a small smile.

            He was a very odd…monster. Man. Man-ster? Ugh, that was bad. Anyway, he was nothing like what she thought monsters would be like. The way her father spoke, she imagined them to be evil, snarling beasts, lacking proper manners and basic dining etiquette. These monsters were quite civil, however, and much friendlier than many of the humans she had ever met.

            Caleo tugged off the quilt in order to pull her legs up onto the sofa, curling up against the arm before wrapping herself up in the colorful swatch of fabric. The seams were a bit uneven in places, but it had obviously been made with a lot of love. She tucked it beneath her chin as she settled down, watching Papyrus cook through increasingly drooping eyes.

 

* * *

 

            Something was burning. Caleo wrinkled her nose and groaned – had one of her classmates set their bedsheets on fire again? She tried to roll over and go back to sleep, but there was something pressing against her back. Her eyes snapped open, though they quickly shut once again as sunlight blinded her. She groaned and rubbed at her eyes with the heels of her hands, trying to dispel the dancing spots of light.

            “Heh, morning sunshine.” Something patted her foot, something cool and boney. Immediately the half-asleep girl lashed out, kicking something hard covered with something soft. “Wha – hey! Watch it.” A hand grabbed her foot, and she tried to yank it back but only ended up falling off whatever she was laying on instead.

            “Sans! Did you push our human off the couch?”

            _Their human_? Caleo sat up and looked behind her, at the couch she had fallen asleep on. Sans was sitting on the other end, looking far too amused. When she looked back at the room proper, Papyrus was standing in front of her, plate in hand. He held a hand out to her. “Are you alright, human?”

            Caleo grabbed his hand and was easily pulled up to stand. “I’m fine,” she reassured him. “I just wasn’t expecting someone to grab my foot when I woke up.”

            “Hey, I only grabbed your foot because you tried to kick me.” Sans defended, slumping lazily on the couch, though his grin seemed genuine beneath the fluff of the jacket he wore.

            Papyrus huffed at his brother and, still holding Caleo’s hand, returned to the kitchen. “Come, human! I have prepared lunch for us.”

            “Lunch? I thought you were making breakfast!” She was sat at the small, round dining table, which was slightly wiggly but clean. She’d never sat at such a small table before. It was very…homey.

            “I was,” Papyrus confirmed, setting the plate he had been carrying down in front of you. “But you slept through breakfast, so I made you lunch instead!” He motioned to the grilled sandwich and bowl of deep red soup. Caleo quickly identified the tomato soup, but poked at the sandwich.

            “What is this?” She asked, lifting the corner so she could see the melted slab of golden cheese.

            “It is a grilled cheese sandwich! Have you never had one before?” Papyrus sat down a second, larger bowl of soup and a sandwich at the seat beside her, then plopped himself down with his own meal. Sans quickly appeared (seemingly out of nowhere) to take the big bowl of soup for himself.

            “No,” Caleo admitted, carefully picking it up and, after a discreet sniff, took a small bite. The flavor of rich, aged cheese exploded on her tongue, accompanied by the slightly crunchy bread. Almost as soon as she swallowed it seemed to dissolve, spreading all throughout her body. It was…it was…

            “Amazing!” Caleo wasted no time in scarfing down the rest of her sandwich. The brothers shared an amused look, then Sans moved his sandwich onto her plate and busied himself with his own soup. “How do you make this?” The mage demanded of Papyrus as she licked the grease off her fingers.

            Papyrus chewed his own bite quickly so he could answer. “It is quite simple, human! You simple butter two pieces of bread, but only on one side, and place a piece of cheese between them! Then you place it on a pan and cook it until the bread is like this!” He held up the remains of his sandwich so she could see the golden-brown toast. “Then you flip it, and repeat. When it is all toasted, it is done!”

            Caleo picked up the sandwich Sans had passed her, and after giving him a wide grin accompanied by a ‘thank you!’ she took a big bite. “I’ll have to try making these at home,” she spoke around the food. “They’re so simple – I bet the cook would love making these for meals! It would definitely cut down on her work.”

            As she finished the second sandwich and started on the soup, Sans and Papyrus shared a glance. “So, uh, kid,” Sans had already drunk most of his soup by this point, so he pushed his bowl away and leaned on the table, twisting his body to face her, “You’re from a pretty rich family, huh?”

            Caleo paused at the tone of his voice, and slowly lowered her spoon back to the soup. “Yes…?” She answered cautiously, meeting his gaze. “Is that – is something wrong with that?”

            “No, human, not at all!” Papyrus quickly reassured her. “It is just that humans and monsters don’t have the best relationship, and to be assisted by a member of human aristocracy in such a manner is, well…”

            “Unheard of,” Sans answered for him.

            “I wouldn’t say I’m aristocracy,” Caleo muttered, slumping in her seat as her ears burned. Technically she _was_ , but according to her mother she never acted like it, and thanks to her ‘brand’ of magic, it wasn’t like she would ever make it to being ‘Lady Caleo of the Dux family.’

            “Then what are you?” Sans asked, leaning back in his chair and raising a boney brow.

            The mage mulled it over for a moment, tongue poking at her cheeks as she thought, and though neither skeleton said anything it made her look a bit like a chipmunk. “Fortunate,” she finally said. “Very, very fortunate.”

            Sans snorted, and Papyrus smiled. “That is a good answer, human!” He beamed, and Caleo couldn’t help but smile back. “And look, your face is all healed up!”

            As the smile dropped off the mages face, Papyrus turned in his seat and grabbed the nearest pot. It was polished to a glowing shine, and he held it out to her proudly. “See? All your bruises are gone!”

            He was right – she was completely healed. Her rounded mirror image reflected the horror that quickly took over her face. “Oh _no_!” She breathed, standing so fast she knocked her chair over.

            “Human?” Papyrus also stood, though he didn’t move towards her.

            “Papyrus!” She rushed around the table, which made Sans tense warily, blue sparking in one eye. “Quick, you have to hit me!”

            “What?!” He backpedaled, taking several steps away from her. “Human, why would I ever wish to injure you?”

            The mage began pacing across the kitchen, tugging at her dark hair. “I wasn’t supposed to be healed – that was part of my punishment for fighting,” she explained. “If the headmaster sees me without my bruises, he’ll think I disobeyed him! He’s already trying to get me expelled – this could be what gets me kicked out!” She stopped in front of the large skeleton and grabbed one of his large hands. “Please, you have to hit me!”

            Papyrus frowned widely, sweat beading on his skull as he glanced between the girl and his brother. “H-human, I do not believe that is necessary!” He claimed, gaining his stride as he seized both of her small hands in his large mitts. “I am certain your master of heads will understand. You simply need to tell him that you accidentally ate some monster food! That will excuse everything – he cannot expel you over an accident, after all.”

            Caleo glanced at their hands, then forced herself to take a deep, shuddery breath. “You’re right,” she said, slowly, squeezing his phalanges. “You’re right. I’m – I’m sorry Papyrus, I shouldn’t have asked that of you…”

            “It is alright, human! I understand that you were distressed.” Papyrus released one of her hands so he could pat her head. “It is only natural that you would ask for help from I, the Great Papyrus!”

            The human couldn’t help but smile. “You’re absolutely right,” she agreed, then glanced over his shoulder at the delicate clock they had hanging on the wall. “Oh jeeze, it’s getting late. I should probably go.”

            Sans, who had watched the bit of chaos with an amused (and slightly worried) smirk, stood, hands thrust in his jacket pockets. “Is there _snow_ way we can convince you to stay for dinner?” He nodded to the window, which was splattered with wet, sticky snowflakes from the falling flakes outside.

            While Papyrus groaned, Caleo rolled her eyes and shook her head. “ _Icy_ what you did there, but I can’t stay. I have to return to the school.” This made the tall skeleton groan even _louder_ , but Sans relaxed grin reassured her that she hadn’t done anything _too_ terrible.

            There were a few more farewells as the skeletons walked her to the door. Caleo was caught up in one last hug from Papyrus before being set on the porch. She waved, then began to trek through the snow, which had gotten an inch deeper while she slept and ate. The few monsters out on the street going about their business gave her a wave and called greetings. Each smile shot her way made Caleo’s heart warm, easily fighting away the chill. Even as she entered the forest and headed home, the warmth stayed.

 

* * *

 

            Sans was waiting for her at the Barrier, leaning against the shimmering screen of rainbow light that separated human and monster land. Caleo wasn’t sure if she should be surprised or not. He looked up when she approached, but the wide smile on his face was absent.

            “’ey kid.”

            “I’m not a kid.”

            “How old are ya?”

            “Fifteen.”

            Sans snorted, and the smile returned just a bit. “You’re a kid,” he argued, “at least compared to me.” He straightened up and took a step towards her, closing the distance until they were only a few feet apart. “So, how d’ya do it?”

            She can’t say she wasn’t expecting this. Caleo carefully tugged her grandmothers necklace from beneath her tunic. “This,” she explained, showing him the beautiful amethyst heart that hung from the delicate silver chain.

            Sans took the gem between his phalanges, holding it delicately as he tilted it this way and that. “What, you got a Monster SOUL in here?” He asked, raising a brow as though he was joking, though there was an undercurrent of a threat in his tone.

            “That’s how the story goes.” When Sans tightened his grip on the gem, Caleo backpedaled. “I’m joking! It’s a joke!” She reassured him, and relaxed when he let go of the gem. “Yeesh, take a joke.”

            “It wasn’t a funny joke, kid. Trust me, I _know_ funny.” Sans shoved his hands in his pocket and eyed the gem. “So what’s the story here?”

            Caleo absently began to turn the gem between the fingers of one hand. “My grandmother was friends with one of the monsters who helped build the Barrier. When it went up, he filled her favorite necklace with as much of his magic as possible, so that she could pass through the Barrier in case there was an emergency, or if she just wanted to see him.” The smile on her face grew slightly dreamy. “Though the more romantic version says that the monster died defending my grandmother, but she caught his SOUL in her locket so she could carry him close to her for the rest of her days.”

            “I don’t see how that’s more romantic.” Sans muttered, looking faintly disturbed. Caleo shrugged.

            “Maybe it’s a human thing,” she pointed out.

            “Probably,” Sans agreed, shaking his head as his smile returned. “Well, thanks for clearing that up, kid.” He stepped to the side, leaving the way to the Barrier clear. “You better get back to your school before they miss you.”

            Caleo snorted as she walked past him. “Yeah, they’d be real broken up if _I_ disappeared.”

            “Oh, and kid?” Caleo paused and turned, only to be struck hard in the side of the face by a glowing blue bone. She stumbled back, slipping in the snow and landing on her rear. The bone dissipated, and Sans stuck his hands back in his pocket as his eye pips returned. “Don’t ever ask my brother to hurt you again, kay?”

            The mage absently nodded through the familiar pain in her head. He’d hit her right where the bruising had been earlier that day. Copper flooded her tongue, and she spat out a glob of spit and blood from where her teeth had cut into her cheek. She doubted it would take long for her face to swell back up with dark purple contusions once more.

            “Glad we understand each other. See ya next week, kid.” Sans disappeared without a trace, leaving only his footprints to prove he’d been there. Caleo dragged herself upright and, after shoving some snow in her mouth to numb the cut and hopefully prevent some of the swelling, headed back to Bridgeside.

            She’d have to remember to thank Sans next week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A wild update appears!
> 
> I hope y'all enjoyed, I needed a break from bitties and angst, so have some Caleo being a brat and Papyrus being a cinnamon roll! 
> 
> Thanks for all the comments I've received on this, I really enjoy writing it! I spent yesterday planning out up to chapter 12, so hopefully I'll make some good headway on this story between student teaching! 
> 
> Please leave a comment or kudo if you enjoyed the chapter!
> 
> Cheers, all!

**Author's Note:**

> No, I really didn't need to post a new story, but I've been planning this one out for months. And I kind of need a break from Paring and from writing in 2nd person. I had to go back and fix 'you' and 'your' to 'she' and 'her' at least a dozen times. I've forgotten how to write in 3rd person! Gah!
> 
> Please leave a review if you like it! I'm hoping this is an idea that hasn't been done too much before - I've seen some kingdom tale stuff, but not a lot of UT stories that take place in more Medieval settings. I've always been a sucker for those! 
> 
> Caleo likely won't pair up with anybody in this fic - I'm Ace & Aro and have NO IDEA how to write romance, mostly because I have no interest in it. So yeah, no smooches in this story.
> 
> Cheers, y'all!


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